


four meetings

by Anonymous



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22187605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The first time is an accident, the second one is a coincidence, the third time is a charm and what about the fourth time?Or, in which Junhoe keeps on meeting the same stranger for four times already.
Relationships: Goo Junhoe/Kim Jinhwan
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46
Collections: Anonymous





	1. first meeting

**Author's Note:**

> hi. betaed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> first meeting, the accident

The sun began to set at the horizon, as the artificial lights on the streets and from the establishments replaces the natural lighting in the busy city. Junhoe finishes his last song for the day, back bending repetitively at his small audience that he gathered over time. He bows at them while they clap for him, murmurs of appreciation leaving their smiling mouths as they drop some change on the open case of his old guitar. Junhoe makes sure to say his gratitude to each one of them, and even if he's doing this for months already, he still isn't used to people showering him compliments about how nice his voice is, or how good looking he is. He thinks he's pretty average, or sometimes he feels like he's on rock bottom when he's on one of his rough days, so it still comes as a surprise to hear them say nice things to him.  
  
The crowd dwindles eventually, and his last audience drops a bill on the growing pile of coins. It's a young girl, and Junhoe gives her a gentle pat on her head to thank her before she scurries back to his parents who are waiting for her. Junhoe waves at the couple and bows down once again. He stays like that for a couple of seconds, and when he straightens up, the couple and their kid is already gone. 

After taking one last look at his surroundings and making sure that his earlier audience had all left, Junhoe begins to pack up. He picks his case up, careful not to drop any bills or coins, before taking a seat on the wooden chair by the side of the cafe which was provided to him by the restaurant's generous owner. 

Junhoe smiles as he begins to count his keep for the day. His smile gets bigger when he reaches his yesterday's earnings, and there's still more left in his case. The response to his last song had been great too, and for that Junhoe feels satisfaction course through his body. Today is a good day for him. He'll have money to order other food instead of his usual ramyeon tonight.

Shortly after he places all of the money he's accumulated on a ziplock, his phone vibrates in his pocket, signalling an incoming message. It's from Chanwoo upon checking, and the news he received has his face lighting up once again. He's glad to know that his friends have been doing fine today just like him.

> **_6:14 PM_ **
> 
> **_From: LGTwins_ **
> 
> **_To: Junhoe_ **
> 
> _hey!!! I got accepted on a job today! let's celebrate, it's on me. I contacted donghyuk too and he says he'll be on the way._ _  
> _ _  
> _
> 
> **_6:17 PM_ **
> 
> **_From: Junhoe_ **
> 
> **_To: LGTwins_ **
> 
> _congrats brat! im done here too, text the address i'll be there_

  
  
"It's a new composition isn't?" Junhoe whips his head at the direction of the newcomer, smile still intact upon recognizing who it is, before tucking his phone back in his pocket. "Your last song?"  
  
"Ah, yes."  
  
"I only heard you perform it today. It's beautiful, as well as your other songs." Junhoe could feel his face heat up at the sincere compliment. Mrs. Song is the restaurant owner, and she has been treating him like his own child ever since they met. It's her who offered him to play in front of her restaurant when she witnessed him being rudely scolded by owners who doesn't want him performing in their area, which happened a year ago. Junhoe is so grateful to her, because if it wasn't for her, then he isn't sure on where will he be today.

"Would you like a cup of coffee? Are you hungry? Come have some before you head home."  
  
Junhoe shakes his head at the offer. "No, thank you Mrs. Song. You might go bankrupt because of me." He jokes, which elicits a laugh from the kind woman.  
  
"Silly boy, it's nothing."  
  
Junhoe stands up, with his guitar in hand. He's afraid he'll get drag inside again and be asked to eat something for free. He already received a lot of help from their family, and he doesn't want them to think that he's taking advantage of them. "I would like to, but Chanwoo got a job today and he's treating us tonight."  
  
"Really? Send my regards to the kid! And tell him to drop by here again at the restaurant. It's been a while since I last saw him."  
  
"I will!" Junhoe pauses, remembering something. "Sorry, but, can I leave early today? I won't be able to help you close the restaurant this time."  
  
"You don't need to ask me about that, you're always free to leave at your own will!" Mrs. Song laughs, hitting him gently. "You also don't need to help me, I'm fine." 

Junhoe would like to argue that it's the only way for him to return all the favors they had given him, but knowing that she won't accept it because she's amazing like that, he immediately drops the topic. He makes a mental note to help tomorrow instead.

"Thank you again for letting me sing here Mrs. Song!"

Mrs. Song opened her arms, and Junhoe easily meets her halfway for a warm hug.

"You don't have to thank me every time. I love hearing your songs too." They broke the hug after a moment, with the older woman patting him lightly on his cheeks, as Junhoe continues smiling. "Have a safe trip, son."  
  


* * *

  
  


The bus stop is quite far from where he played earlier, so Junhoe decided to take the shortcut to get there faster. Now that he thinks about it, maybe it's a bad idea after all. 

The street where he's currently in is dark, and there's not much people around. It doesn't look sketchy, but compared to the usually bustling streets that he passed by earlier, this particular one is unsettling. 

Junhoe could hear footsteps behind him, cursing under his breath when he notices that he's still a little far from the end of the street. He could make a run for it, but he knows that he'll just get chased.

The footsteps got louder, signifying that they're near him. Junhoe grips his guitar tight, praying to all Gods out there before deciding to just risk it and speed into safety. 

"Hey, fucker!"

Junhoe hears one of them say, confirming that yes, he's being really followed. 

The end is so damn near, and the possibility of escaping is high, but then he came to a halt when two people came out of nowhere, blocking his direction.  
  
Junhoe stops, and begins to step backwards, but when he turns around, the people who have been running after him is already behind him.  
  
He overestimated it earlier. Today is not a good day. 

Before he could even think of what to do, two guys grab on both of his arms, prompting his guitar to fall on the ground. Alarmed that it might break at the impact, Junhoe thrashes, but the grip on him is tight and unforgiving. He feels rough hands cup at his cheeks, and then a fist collided at the side of his face.

"That's for making us run, you asshole." His assailant gruffs, as Junhoe coughs, the pain makes his ears ring. He hasn't recovered from the first attack when another one followed, this time, kicking him on his abdomen.

This would have sent him stumbling backwards, but due to the strong grip on his arms, he was steadied on his shaking legs.  
  
"Give us all of your money."

Junhoe winces when he was forced to stand up, but despite knowing he'll get hit again, he stubbornly shakes his head, as he mutters, "I don't have any."

He's right, because he instantly receives another punch. He hears the two men holding him laugh, as his legs completely gave up under him. They sure know how to deliver a punch. 

"Don't lie." One of the men sing songed, and Junhoe immediately flinches when he comes near him, expecting another attack. Fortunately he is spared this time, because he isn't sure if he can handle a couple more punches. He regrets not continuing that Jiu-jitsu class where his friend registered him a few years back.

"Would you hand it to us or would you like us to forcefully take it away from you?"

Junhoe stays quiet, hoping that they would just let him go. He doesn't really have that much money anyway.

"Search him."

Hands begin to tap on his pockets, and Junhoe is grateful that he puts the ziplock that contains all his money on the guitar case. He is pulled out of his thoughts when he feels a hand go through his pocket, intending to fish out his phone. 

"What is this?" The man waves the phone in front of his face, and even though the street is quite dark, Junhoe could see anger on the man's eyes. "Do you call this a phone? It's the oldest model! No one would ever buy this!"

Junhoe grimaces when the man shouts at him, turning his head away just in time to watch as his phone hits the ground. The man isn't contented for he repeatedly kicks it, until it is reduced to unidentifiable pieces on the ground.

"He doesn't have any wallet." 

He hears someone say, followed by another punch. Junhoe coughs, and he's sure there's blood when he spits. His mind is swimming with pain, and he doesn't usually cry but he feels hot tears brim at the corner of his eyes. He should have just stayed a couple more minutes and take Mrs. Song's offer. 

"Are you dirt poor?!"

As if things couldn't get much worse, the men took notice of his guitar. Junhoe lets his tears fall when upon lifting it, his coins made a sound. The men perk up, immediately dropping the quitar and opening its case. They found it out. 

"So is this not money? Why are you lying at us?"

They are holding on his ziplock, smiles taunting as they shake it in front of his face.

"Don't take it please. I worked hard for that."  
  
"Look boss, he's crying!"

The four men laugh, enjoying his reaction. All his frustration were released through his tears, and even if he wants to break free, he really can't.  
  
"Awww pathetic kid. Crying over this small amount of money? This won't do. Take his guitar too. Maybe we could sell them somewhere."

At the prospect of the one important thing left on his life being taken away from him, Junhoe's eyes widened, and with a renewed sense of urgency, he begins to thrash around.  
  
"No! Not the guitar! Don't take my guitar!"  
  
"Shhhh, you're being too loud." Junhoe ignores the pain in favor of breaking free, but the men holding him are so much older and stronger than him. The guy in front of him watches him, irked. "Come on, take it and we'll go."  
  
"Please give me back my guitar. Please!"  
  
"The nearest police station from here is a hundred meters away. Quite near don't you think?"

At the appearance of a new voice, Junhoe, along with his assailants are startled. They turned to see a man with a smaller built, standing not so far from them with his hands in his pockets. Junhoe can't see the man clearly because his eyes are blurred from tears, but judging by the way this man interrupted them, he's here to help him.

_Finally_.  
  
"Who the fuck are you? Do you want to get some beating too?"

The man walks forward, undeterred by the threat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and begins to dial something on it.

"Hey kid, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Hello? Is this the police station? I wanted to report something here. I'm just around the corner, near the--"  
  
"Fuck you."

The man lunges forward, and Junhoe closes his eyes as his heart sinks. He had so much hope in being saved. Of course the kid wouldn't be able to help him, especially if he's up alone with four other guys. 

A grunt of pain echoed through the street, along with a body hitting the ground with a dull thud. Junhoe bit his lips, pitying the kid for getting involved even though he only wanted to help him.

The guys holding him steps backward, and so Junhoe finally opens his eyes, surprised to see that the kid is still standing, while the man is on the ground, writhing in pain. 

Another man runs towards his direction, and Junhoe watches as the kid moves quickly to dodge the punch, before delivering a blow from his own. It isn't as powerful, but Junhoe notices that it's just thrown to distract the man just so the kid could come behind him and crack the man's bones.

This time, Junhoe could feel the two men beside him flinch, as the man shouts in pain, joining the other writhing man on the ground.

The kid pockets his phone before walking forward, stepping on the two men's torso who are on his way. The men holding Junhoe loosens their hold on him, and when the kid comes nearer, did they finally run, but not without picking Junhoe's zip lock.

Junhoe falls to the ground, having lost all his energy from the earlier assaults. 

"Hey, you okay?"

The kid drops on his height to check up on him, voice having the same neutrality from when he talks to the other guys. Now that he's near him, Junhoe could finally see that it isn't a kid but a young looking man, whose features look soft but eyes devoid of any emotions.

Junhoe's breath gets caught in his throat, especially when the stranger cups his chin to inspect his face. Junhoe had never seen someone look so beautiful up close.  
  
"I'm fine. Thank you."

The stranger rolls his eyes at his pathetic lie. Junhoe notices a heart shaped mole, just under his right eye, but before he could stare at him more, the stranger lets go of him and stands up 

"You're shaking and bleeding too. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

The stranger offers his hand, and it takes a moment before Junhoe could understand what he is trying to do. 

Junhoe stands up with so much difficulty, his knees still feeling jelly, with the stranger holding him close to steady him.  
  
"It's okay. You've already done enough."  
  
"Let me help you. You're shaking too much. You think you can walk?"

Now that their standing beside each other, Junhoe couldn't help but take notice of their height difference. In fear that the stranger would feel offended if he would directly look down on him, Junhoe turns his head to the side. He stiffens when he looks at the two men on still on the ground, anger surging through him.

The stranger noticed this, and assured him that he'll be fine. "Don't worry about them. Police are coming, and they won't be able to escape with their broken limbs."

Junhoe doesn't understand why he feels comforted by the stranger's voice.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The stranger whose name he still didn't know, accompanied him to the station in order for him to file a case against his assailants. The man refuses to enter with him inside, and instead just told him that he'd just wait for him outside. Junhoe doesn't press more, realizing that he couldn't trouble him when he already has done enough for him . Thinking that he wouldn't be able to see the man again once he went inside, Junhoe enters the doors with a heavy heart. 

The interrogation and the process didn't last that long, but still, when Junhoe walked out and found the same stranger sitting at the side, he momentarily forgot that he's in pain as he rushed down the stairs to stand in front of the stranger.

The stranger is on his phone but upon noticing someone standing in front of him, he looks up. 

"You really waited." Junhoe breathes, can't stop himself from smiling. The stranger looked mildly surprised, but schooled his expression into his usual blank one. He puts his phone back in his pocket, before standing up. 

"Of course. That's what I told you, didn't I?" 

* * *

They relocated themselves on the nearest available bench in sight, which is not that far from the police station. The stranger had left him, but he's back before Junhoe could think again that he's abandoned him.  
  
"Here, wipe the blood on your face." The stranger says, as he offers him a pack of ice and a fresh towel. For the first time since meeting him, the stranger has a small sheepish smile on his face before sitting down beside him. It's barely there, but Junhoe notices it anyway. "I don't really know what to buy so I just grabbed the nearest ice available."

Junhoe looks at him with a smile, grateful. The man suddenly ducks his head, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"People are looking at us. They might think that I did it to you."

This statement brings Junhoe back to reality. He faces the front again, belatedly realizing that he's staring. He feels his face heat up, as he hopes that it won't be too noticeable with his cuts and bruises.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay. Make sure to ice it up. Looks like it hurts a lot." Junhoe follows the stranger's advice, but he lets out a small yelp the moment the ice makes contact into his face. Damn, it really stings a lot. 

"Careful." Upon hearing him, the stranger turns to look at him, his eyebrows a little scrunched up on his forehead. "Have you eaten?"  
  
"Not yet." Junhoe thinks bitterly, that maybe he could have eaten good food today, if only his money wasn't stolen. He thinks about his friend and— "Oh shit, Chanwoo!"  
  
The stranger looked as surprised as him with his outburst. Junhoe has to be still for a couple of seconds, feeling his vision sway a little from standing up too quickly.

"What's wrong?"  
  
"I was supposed to meet up with my friend tonight. Do you know what time is it?"

Junhoe waits anxiously as the stranger checks on his watch. It looks expensive, just like the rest of him.  
  
"It's half past 8."  
  
"It's still early, I could still go." Junhoe would text them and apologize, but he remembered that his phone is reduced into pieces by those bastards. "Thank you so much for everything! I owe you a lot, thank you!"

The stranger stands up too, and gives him back his guitar. Junhoe could detect a slight disappointment on his eyes, but it's gone before he could be sure that he's seen it right.

"Where are you going now? Do you want me to accompany you?"

He can't be disappointed, right? Why would he be anyway? Chucking the ridiculous thought aside, Junhoe firmly shakes his head.

"I'm going to be fine. If I go now, I could catch the bus going there."  
  
"If that's what you say. Stay out of trouble, this time." 

Junhoe smiles as best as he can with his face throbbing in pain. The young looking man doesn't say anything much to Junhoe's dismay, just nodded at him. Junhoe takes one last look at his youthful saviour, before turning on his heels and walking away. 

* * *

  
  
"You're back?" 

Junhoe braces his arms on his knees, having ran out of breath from jogging all the way back. He didn't even go that far when he realized that he didn't have any money for the bus fare.

"Are you...okay?" 

Junhoe gives himself a couple more moments to catch his breath before standing up properly. He's glad that the man is still sitting from where they parted, and he didn't risk his life running back here in vain. 

Now that his mind isn't muddled of his chance in staying a bit longer with his saviour, he feels embarrassed on what he's just about to ask.  
  
"Could I borrow some money? Just for the bus fare?" Junhoe says, his face growing redder when the young man looks taken aback. Junhoe feels inclined to explain more, his mouth running before his mind could even process his thoughts. 

"I know I'm asking for too much now, but I promise to pay you back! I'm really sorry for the inconvenience but I'll either go back home and starve or ask for help to meet my friends and eat an actual food after God knows when. Those fuckers took all my money, and I can't go there by foot, so please—"  
  
"Come on."

Junhoe's pitiful monologue was cut short when the man rises on his feet, while brushing some invisible dust on his clothes. Junhoe only noticed that he's wearing a formal suit too.  
  
"Excuse me, what?"  
  
"I'll go with you. I have nothing to do now anyway, and I don't wanna be home yet. I'll pay for our bus fare."

The stranger says simply, while Junhoe's eyes bulges out. First he saved him, accompanied him to the police station, waited for him to finish and bought him ice, and now he'll what?  
  
"Are you sure? You've been doing so much for a mere stranger don't you think?" Realizing that it sounds ruder than what he initially intended it to be, Junhoe hurries to explain before the stranger could even think that he's an ungrateful bastard. "I don't mean anything bad by it, but I'm afraid I've inconvenienced you enough. You have done so much for me, and I don't want you thinking that I'm taking advantage of your kindness."

Junhoe feels self conscious with his saviour's stare. Yes, saviour, because it feels a bit odd to address him as _stranger_ when he literally saved his life. No one talks for a while, and Junhoe is mentally beating himself up for spouting nonsense and coming back here.

His saviour sighs after a while, his features relaxing.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm doing this for myself too. It's been a long time since I last rode on a public vehicle." He looks a little embarrassed by his own admittance, and if Junhoe has doubts if this man is rich, then it's confirmed now. "Where do we go from here?"  
  
"What?"

"To the bus stop."

Junhoe smiles because after all, despite the large hiccup, something good still happened to him.

"Oh, it's this way."  
  


* * *

  
  
"I'm sorry, it's rush hour. It'll get better once we arrive at the next station."

Junhoe feels the need to explain, even though his saviour appears much calmer than he is. They're situated at the far back with Junhoe barricading himself to _protect_ his tiny saviour from being crushed by people. Junhoe shouldn't have agreed to his saviour's request in accompanying him.

"I'm okay. Is this what you're going through everyday?" Junhoe looks away when his saviour looks up, embarrassed by their close proximity. He waits for Junhoe to nod, before continuing, "Why don't you just take a cab?"  
  
"The fare is much cheaper." Junhoe replies, as a matter of fact. He's about to explain that he likes walking too since he could save more money that way, but before he could open his mouth to speak, someone accidentally elbowed his bruised sides. "Oww."  
  
"Hey, be careful." His saviour says, and Junhoe tries not to grimace, because he doesn't want to see him worried. "Are you fine?"  
  
"They kicked me at my stomach earlier," Junhoe begins, but upon noticing how his eyes widen a little at the new information, he hurries to add, "I'll be okay."  
  
His saviour doesn't look like he believes him, but he fortunately drops the topic and doesn't prod more.

* * *

  
"People are staring at you." Is what Junhoe says, once there are available seats for them. True to his words, most people got off at the next station, and now, the bus isn't that crowded compared to earlier. 

His saviour is clicking something on his phone, his expression tight and his lips pursed. He briefly acknowledged Junhoe's words, looking up from his phone and catching a few stares from passengers who then pretended to look at the other direction. His saviour shrugs, before going back into his phone.  
  
"Let them stare all they want."  
  
"I think I know why."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's because of what you're wearing. Mind if I ask why you're wearing a full suit?" 

His saviour hums, but he still isn't looking at him. Whatever is happening on his phone, must have of importance that it could pull a different expression from his face. Junhoe is embarrassed to admit but he likes seeing the small changes of expression from his usually blank faced saviour. It fascinates him.  
  
"Just my suit?"

Junhoe looks away, as he bits his lips to prevent a possibly dumb comment from slipping out. 

_Because you're beautiful too._

Maybe it isn't dumb, but it's mortifying to say. Who would even tell a man that he's beautiful? Doesn't matter that his skin is fair, his face looks smooth, his nose fits his face perfectly, his lips red and supple, his eyes though devoid of any emotion is enthralling to look at and his mole is charming, right?  
  
"Maybe it's really my suit." His saviour says, while he puts his phone back in his pocket. Junhoe groans internally, glad that he's able to keep all his thoughts for himself. He'll be in big trouble if it gets out. "I just finished a meeting that didn't end well so I'm here now."  
  
"I'm sorry."

His saviour pauses, before directly looking at him. "You should be sorry to your face. Place more ice on it after you get home."  
  
"I will. Thank you."

His saviour nods, before looking away to observe the changing scenery. With the wind now hitting his face, and the moonlight reflecting his features. He looks the most relaxed now. Junhoe could only think of one word to describe his saviour— _gorgeous._  
  
"Are we still far?"

Junhoe shakes himself out of his reverie, as he chooses to face the front instead. Focus Junhoe, focus.  
  
"Nope, just a couple of stations away."  
  
"Okay."  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Sadly, their bus arrives much faster than Junhoe initially hoped for. Junhoe asked his saviour earlier if he would like to join them and meet his friends, but he declined. Junhoe didn't ask again after that, afraid to push his boundaries.

"It's right across the street there. My friends are waiting inside. Thank you for accompanying me."

His saviour handed his guitar, as Junhoe tries not to show too much of his emotion on his face. He's terrible at it, but he hopes that his bruises could hide that he's feeling dejected.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"I'll get going now. Thank you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

As usual, his saviour just waves his hand in dismissal. His phone must have vibrated, because he looks a little startled before his hands slip in his pocket. He pulls his phone out, but he doesn't check it. Junhoe observes that he always looked like he's agitated whenever he's on his phone.  
  
"I'll just take a taxi from here, go now, your friends must be waiting."  
  
"Yeah, I will. I'm Junhoe by the way. Goo Junhoe."

His saviour pauses, and then he waves at him. "Then good night Junhoe, it's nice meeting you."

Junhoe accepted it graciously—accepted the fact that he isn't going to even learn of his saviour's name and they will never meet again.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Junhoe you're so late!" Donghyuk stands up upon spotting him, but once Junhoe comes nearer and the bruises and his limp become noticeable, his friend's expression turns from annoyed to worried. "Wait, what happened to you face! Who did this to you? Who should I kill?" 

"I'm fine." Junhoe says as he sits himself behind Chanwoo, who is gawking at him.

"Who beat you up?!"

Junhoe's face scrunches at the volume of Donghyuk's voice. He only needs to glance at their table and on the empty soju bottles to deduce that his friend is already tipsy. Such a lightweight. 

Chanwoo, the ever sensible and level headed one, begins to ask him calmly once he gets over his initial surprise. Junhoe appreciates the water offered to him, and he doesn't know how parched he is until he downed the entire glass in one go.  
  
"Don't mind him, I told him to stop drinking already." They both ignored Donghyuk's protests saying that he's fine. "What happened to you? You should have texted us, or called us so we could fetch you."

Junhoe sighs, and he's really tired so he begins to tell the shortcut version instead. Maybe he'll tell them every single thing that happened once his mouth stops hurting every time he opened them. 

"I got mugged. They got my phone and my money. A kind stranger helped me save my guitar, and accompanied me here."

Donghyuk leans forward, bracing his arms on the table as he chirps in. "Faith in humanity restored."

Chanwoo rolled his eyes when Donghyuk ignores his request to sit properly, fearing that he'll have to pay more if ever the tipsy man accidentally knocks off a bottle. Junhoe picks up the menu on the side, as his stomach rumbles, as if he isn't already aware of how hungry he is. Damn, why is he feeling all of this now that he and his saviour departed? He swears he's really fine moments ago.

"Where is the stranger now? You should've invited him here so we could thank him too. Does it still hurt?"  
  
"A little. But that's not important. Congratulations for the promotions! I'm starving."

Chanwoo sighs at him, but doesn't prod more, probably understanding that Junhoe doesn't want to talk about it. Donghyuk goes back on his proper seat once realizing that he'll just be ignored for the rest of the time, opting to busy himself in checking Junhoe's guitar instead.  
  
"Thank you. Go order whatever you want."

Junhoe isn't that terrible, and even though he's hungry, he still thinks on how much it'll cost their youngest after paying for their meals.  
  
"Wait Junhoe. You said you got mugged right?"

Donghyuk asks, as Junhoe proceeds to mentally count the total amount of different dish combinations. Chanwoo excused himself to the bathroom, and now it's just the two of them in their booth.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Which means you don't have any money right now, right?"

Junhoe puts the menu down to look at Donghyuk. He doesn't need him to remind him that he's hurt, and penniless now.  
  
"Yes. What's wrong?"  
  
"Then, why do you have bills here on your guitar case?"

Junhoe shakes his head, finding it absurd. He's just playing with him. He intends to go back in browsing the menu, when Donghyuk pulls out said bills and brandishes it at him.  
  
"See. They're all new bills." Donghyuk informs him, as Junhoe's jaw goes slack. "There's a note here too."

Junhoe snatches the note from Donghyuk's hand before his friend could even read it first. He opens the note hastily, and the unfamiliar scribble confirms his suspicions. 

Junhoe stumbles out of their booth, renewed urgency surging through his aching body. He ignores Donghyuk's call and Chanwoo's confused look when he arrives back on their booth, his mind determined to see one thing.

He runs towards the front door and opens it, but alas, much to his utter disappointment, his saviour isn't on the other side of the street anymore. Chanwoo and Donghyuk shortly follows him out right after, worried on why he acted like that. 

Junhoe tunes out their questions as he reads the small note once again. At least now, his saviour has a name, and it's Jinhwan.

> Consider it as my tip for your singing earlier. - _Jinhwan_

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

_"How will you sing tomorrow? I'm sure the bruises will fully bloom later."_

_Junhoe stops in his tracks. How did he know that he sing? Was it because of his guitar?_

_As if reading his mind, his saviour answers his unspoken questions._

_"We were in a restaurant, just in front of the place where you sang earlier. I enjoyed listening, especially the last one."_

_Junhoe smiles, though a little bashful at the compliment._

_"I think I'm going to stop until my bruises are all healed. I don't want to worry the restaurant owner. She's a kind woman, and I'm sure she'll send me to the hospital."_

_"Isn't it the best thing to do? Going to the hospital?"_

_Junhoe scratches his nape awkwardly, a little embarrassed to say it out loud. "I can't afford the bills, and I don't want them to pay for my bills either. They took all my money today, and I'm grateful that I thought of saving for the past month or else I wouldn't have any money for a cup of ramyeon. I wasn't sure if it's going to last me a week though…" Junhoe whispers the last part, hoping that his saviour doesn't hear it. He notices that the mood turns down, so in attempt to bring it up again, Junhoe tries to reassure himself and his saviour that he'll be fine._

_"But it's okay! I'll find a way."_

_His saviour doesn't say anything, and so they continue to walk. Suddenly, from out of the blue, Junhoe receives an unexpected question._

_"Where's the nearest bank here? I need to do something."_

  
  


_"I'll carry your guitar. You can't even walk properly."_

_Junhoe yields easily, because it's true that he's having a hard time walking with his guitar slung on his shoulder. He thanks him, and walks again, sighing in relief upon noticing the bus stop in sight._

_His saviour lags behind him, and when Junhoe turns to check on him, he sees him zipping his guitar case back._

_"It's unzipped."_

_Junhoe doesn't remember it being unzipped earlier when he's carrying it, but maybe it really is and he just didn't notice it._

_"The bus stop is here. Let's go check the schedule."_

_"Sure."_


	2. second meeting p1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> second meeting, the coincidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii i cut the second chapter into two because i just wanted everyone who's still waiting for this that yep, i am still ginna continue this haha

Junhoe likes to think that meeting Jinhwan is his lucky charm— the turning point in his life before he is swept up in the whirlwind of events he could only dream of before. Ever since he met him, strings of blessings came his way, to the extent that Junhoe was even grateful he got mugged. He had once voiced it out to his friends, but they only argued that it's his own talent that allows him to be finally recognized, and not by just sheer luck. 

Junhoe dropped the topic and never spoke a word about his savior since then, but it didn't mean that he had forgotten about him. He still has the little note in his wallet, meticulously folded and tucked away, along with his hope—however small it is, of meeting him again.

* * *

Junhoe pleaded that it isn't necessary. Really, there's no need to throw a party after he signed the contract. He loves drinking, maybe more than the next person, but drinking together with some of his future producers and bosses is quite uncomfortable for him. There's no Donghyuk and Chanwoo that he could bicker with, and even though Yunhyeong is there with him, Junhoe figures that he'll be too busy in accommodating their bosses to hang with him. He thanked his high alcohol tolerance tonight, because his new colleagues just can't stop offering him drinks. Junhoe accepted them all, afraid that he'll appear rude if he didn't.

Junhoe is grateful for the opportunity given to him, but he would much appreciate it if he could celebrate it with his close friends rather than the overly friendly people he barely knew.

  
  
  


Yunhyeong sensed his increasing discomfort when they lock eyes sometime after 10 30pm. The friendly approaches turned flirty— his colleagues already tipsy, and some are already drunk. The private room that they're in becomes much smaller, or that's just how it feels like with how close the people are on his either sides. Junhoe is this close in pushing them off for his much needed space, rationalizing that maybe they'll be too drunk and won't even remember that he did such thing once they sobered up. He was about to do just that when he catches Yunhyeong looking, dropping his hands midway when the older shakes his head at him.

Yunhyeong stands and makes his way towards their sofa, calmly gaining the attention of the female staff on his left. Junhoe had zoned out, muting the laughter and whispers shared by the two, only coming back to his senses when the staff moved to the side and allowed Yunhyeong to sit beside him. 

Yunhyeong smiles apologetically at him once he's settled. The female staff then busies herself with more drinks, and it's a bad idea considering how she's already drunk but if it would allow Junhoe to breathe again, then she could do whatever she wants. 

"I'm sorry, they're all good people but they're quite a handful when drunk." 

Junhoe focuses his attention back on Yunhyeong as he nods, already figuring it out. The older man is about to continue when a glass was pushed in Junhoe's direction, courtesy of another colleague on his right. Junhoe sighs and is preparing to accept it, when Yunhyeong speaks up again. 

"Ah, nuna. Don't give him more drinks, what if he damages his voice with it?" Yunhyeong whines, the action surprising Junhoe that he visibly flinches. The older man narrows his eyes at him, only dropping the act upon noticing that Junhoe is biting back a smile, amusement lightening up his features by a fraction.

"Oops." The staff finally says, retracting her hand as he giggles. "My bad, then." 

Junhoe heaves a sigh of relief after the staff downed her offered drink. He's safe. 

"You can leave now." Yunhyeong whispers. "I'll just tell them that you're already drunk and tired if they're going to ask about you." 

The thought sounds so tempting, but Junhoe is still unsure. Even though most of their bosses had already left, he still feels that it'll be rude to just leave his own party. Yunhyeong understands him—sees the hesitation in his eyes, so instead of forcing him to go, he changes his approach and offers him a drink instead. 

Junhoe stares at the glass, bewildered. Didn't he just save him from drinking earlier? 

"You can drink this, and then you can go." Yunhyeong explains, eyes kind as he smiles at him. "I haven't offered you a drink ever since we started earlier." 

Junhoe accepts the glass willingly for the first time tonight. Yunhyeong smiles wider, and proceeds to pour himself some too. "Congratulations, I knew that you could always hit it big someday." 

Junhoe ducks his head, embarrassed. "I just signed a contract, I still have a long way to go." A pause, and then he continues, voice soft and genuine, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your mom."

"You're talented, that's why you made it." Yunhyeong counters easily, bumping his shoulder with the younger male. "Come on, let's cheers and you can finally call it a night." 

He doesn't argue more, because Yunhyeong looks like he won't accept any other explanation. They clink their glasses together, before downing the contents of their own glasses. Junhoe's throat welcomes the familiar burn of the alcohol, momentarily closing his eyes to savor the feeling, only coming back to his senses when Yunhyeong gently nudges him. 

This is what he means when he said he loves to drink. He's finally able to enjoy it, now that he's drinking with someone he's comfortable with.

"Go." Yunhyeong says, still smiling. "I've been to enough gatherings, I could now handle them on my own." 

Before he could get another word out, Yunhyeong is pushing his own jacket towards his chest. Junhoe takes a glance at the other employees, and once sure that they're all occupied with whatever they're doing, he rises to his feet and beelines out the door, but not without thanking Yunhyeong who only gave him a thumbs up as a reply.

Once he's finally out of the suffocating room, Junhoe lets his shoulders sag, letting out a deep breath he didn't know he'd been holding. It's late—an hour before midnight, but instead of going straight towards the exit like what he'd been advised to, Junhoe decided to freshen up a little. 

He finally arrives in front of the short hallway which leads to the comfort room, if the neon lights are anything to go by. His trip is short and undisturbed by other patrons, which is kind of expected from a high end looking bar. Everything seems fancy here, and everyone is minding their own businesses. The music even sounded like it's meant for the riches, even though it's just a familiar tune from the radio. The entire atmosphere makes Junhoe feel strange, and the more he looked around, the more he felt out of place.

The music and the chatters aren't loud enough, so when the door to the bathroom opens, Junhoe startles. 

Sighing once again, Junhoe begins to walk forward. He better get out of this place. The sooner, the better. 

On his short way towards the bathroom, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket—another gift from the chairman when he's being courted into signing the contract, as he immediately retrieves it to check the message that he received. It's either Chanwoo or Donghyuk, or maybe Yunhyeong is checking up on him, but before he could even unlock his phone, he bumped into someone. 

"Sorry," Junhoe scrambles for an apology, alarmed at the possibility of offending an affluent patron. The stranger is much shorter than him, his polo unbuttoned and his face scrunched up in annoyance. They stared at each other for a couple of beats, and then it finally dawned to Junhoe on who this stranger is.

He had only seen him once, but he could recognize his youthful face and heart shaped mole anywhere. 

Junhoe blinks, unsure if his eyes are just playing tricks on him, or if he really just saw the man's features soften in recognition too. 

"Be careful."  _ Jinhwan _ says— his savior, his lucky charm, and the man he's been wanting to meet again. Junhoe's mind struggles to form a reply. He wants to thank him for his help, wants to ask him how he's doing for the past months, assure him that he'll repay him someday, and he had already prepared a speech to say beforehand but now that he's literally here, standing before him, he couldn't even get a word out. 

Jinhwan is leaving so soon, his face neutral like how it had been when he first met him. He turns in his heels and proceeds to walk, while Junhoe looks on dumbly, his tongue vacant.

Jinhwan is sitting by the counter, alone. Junhoe knows because he's looking at him, or at his back specifically, and he's not being a creep. He's just checking if he'll still be there while he gathers his thoughts and works up his courage to finally talk to him, which is taking much more time than what he initially intended. The other patrons who pass by him were all looking at him like he's weird, and they have the right to do. He also thinks that he looks like a fool just standing there, as he takes a few calming breaths from time to time.

After coming to the conclusion that he had wasted so much time doing nothing when he could be talking to Jinhwan now, he finally forced himself to walk towards him. The seats beside Jinhwan are empty, so Junhoe pulls the chair from his left, and allows himself to be comfortable on it. 

"What could I get you, Sir?" 

The bartender took notice of him and Junhoe curses internally because he didn't think this through. Of course he'll have to buy something if he's going to sit by the counter. He took a peek at the price earlier when they arrived here, and nearly bulged his eyes out because of it. He only had enough for a taxi fare— courtesy of his new company once again because buses had long stopped running now, and if he's going to be spending it to buy drinks, then he won't have enough to reach his place. 

"Sir? Could I recommend something to you instead?"  _ Goddammit _ can't he see that he's still thinking? Junhoe surveys the area around him out of desperation for some intervention, cursing again when he notices that it's nearly impossible because everyone is holding a glass of their own. He really has no other choice but to order if he wanted to remain in this seat. Maybe he'll just take a taxi and walk the remaining distance on what his fare can't cover. 

"He'll take the same as mine." A voice cuts in on his thoughts, surprised when he realized that it's Jinhwan who's speaking. "Put it on my bill."

"No, no—" Junhoe quickly says, waving at the bartender before he goes away. The poor man looks confused at the outburst but stays nonetheless, as Junhoe feels his ears grow hot from embarrassment.

The bartender shifts his gaze from him to Jinhwan, and Junhoe follows suit, a little taken aback to find his savior looking at him.

Junhoe suddenly feels the need to explain, intimidated by his saviour's inquisitive eyes. "I just got out of a party and I already drank a lot there." He lowers his head, because while it isn't a lie, it's not really the whole truth either.

He feels rather than sees Jinhwan nod, and then he's speaking again. "You heard him, you can leave now."

Fading footsteps is all he heard, and then there's silence between them, save for the soft music playing on the background. He's still facing Jinhwan with his head down, can't bear to look at him just yet. 

"Lift your head up." Jinhwan says, and it takes a moment before he realizes that he's talking to him. Junhoe immediately follows, grateful and a little disappointed that his savior seems so preoccupied in the content of his own glass. "You look like you're being scolded by me." 

"I'm Goo Junhoe." Junhoe starts. Jinhwan doesn't give any indication that he's listening, but he continues nonetheless. "I don't know if you remembered me, but you saved me from robbers almost four months ago. You also gave me—."

"And?" 

Junhoe swallows hard. Maybe he should have just accepted the offer, because he feels oddly parched now. He's not really beating around the bush, but he just doesn't know what to say yet. All his prepared questions are thrown out the window, because even though his savior and this man before him is the same person, the difference in their attitude is obvious. He still got his blank expression and empty, bored looking eyes, but his iciness has doubled over. His friends are right, he had high expectations in meeting him again. 

"Do you remember me?" 

Jinhwan places his glass down after taking a sip, just in time after Junhoe finishes his lame question. He turns and instead of replying, shamelessly checks him out from head to toe. Junhoe suddenly feels self conscious at the attention. Their eyes meet, no one speaking a word as Jinhwan tilted his head slightly, before nodding. He returns his attention back in front, while Junhoe is left to ponder on what it all means.

"You look much better today." 

Junhoe almost chokes, his face heating up instantly. While it isn't what he's expecting to hear, it definitely is a confirmation that he remembered him. Junhoe can't help but smile, a tad bit too happy at his saviour's words. He doesn't know if it's a compliment or a jab at his previous appearance when they first met, but whatever it is, Junhoe is willing to take it. Jinhwan remembered him, and that's the only important part. 

"I wanted to say thank you for helping me." Junhoe remembers the wad of bills that he received from him before, and begins to thank him for that too. "I promise, I will repay you in the future, though it might take a while because I am still starting."

By now, the silence is expected. Junhoe feels contented with this as he smiles to himself. It's far from what he imagined for their next meeting, but the fact that it even happened in the first place is quite thrilling. 

After a long silence between them, Jinhwan, the ever unpredictable one, checks his watch first before asking for something.

"Want to repay me now?" 

Junhoe's smile drops quickly. He doesn't have the money yet. 

As if reading his mind, Jinhwan eases his worries, but increases his confusion tenfold when he gets off from his chair. 

"Don't worry, I'm not asking for money." 

He must have looked relieved by it that the corner of Jinhwan's lips twitches. Junhoe wants to believe that Jinhwan is about to smile, but forces himself not to. 

Junhoe waits for Jinhwan and the bartender to finish their transaction, and only when Jinhwan got his black card again did he finally ask something. 

"If it's not money, then how can I repay you?"

Jinhwan doesn't give him much of an explanation, aside from a clipped "Follow me." 

The odds are low, but Junhoe wishes that Jinhwan isn't one of the mafia. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> secont part will be up soon or idk stream dive pls, support our boys been a while since i started writing again and ugh i have forgotten how to do this lmao


	3. second meeting p2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part two. the coincidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took longer because I've been either too busy or tired. im surprised at the replies that i received for the prevs parts, needless to say im touched.

Jinhwan wasn't from the mafia. Though he didn't expressly deny it, Junhoe believes that he's over thinking things again judging by the reaction that he received. When Junhoe told him about his suspicions, he's surprised to see an amused smirk on his saviour's usually blank face. Junhoe feels quite proud that he managed to put that there—another addition to his mentally kept  _ the many faces of jinhwan _ file, even if it's at his own expense.

* * *

"I'm a regular there, and the owner knows me." Jinhwan begins to say, after a long period of silence. Junhoe forces himself to focus on his words, and not on the idea of how romantic it'll be to walk down the empty and peaceful streets of Gangnam while holding hands. There is a considerable amount of space between them, but Junhoe could easily reach out for Jinhwan's hand and hold it. They'll surely paint a perfect picture. 

Suddenly, the said hand moves and finds refuge in the pocket of Jinhwan's jacket. Junhoe averts his eyes quickly, doesn't realize that he's staring, mortified at his own thoughts. Thankfully, when he sneaks a glance at Jinhwan's direction, he doesn't seem to notice him being weird. 

_ What the fuck was that, Junhoe? _

Jinhwan probably takes his silence as something else, that's why he's apologizing when he opens his mouth again. 

"Sorry, I didn't ask you first if this is okay with you." Junhoe vehemently shakes his head to deny it, which is a dumb move considering how Jinhwan isn't looking at him, but straight ahead. "I don't usually talk to anybody while I'm there, and I don't want to answer my friend's questions if he ever sees us."

It's kind of hard to wrap his head around the fact that Jinhwan is here with him again, that he's speaking to him and that's probably the longest he's ever heard him say. Junhoe also notes how he seems less tense now as opposed to how he was at the bar, if his relaxed shoulders were anything to go by. 

Jinhwan is still the same Jinhwan, he was just very uncomfortable earlier. For some reason, this greatly comforts Junhoe. 

"You look like you wanted to say a lot, so I pulled us out here."

"It's okay, I understand." Junhoe replies earnestly. He should've just left it at that, but of course his mouth has to embarrass him by adding, "I like this." 

Jinhwan looks at him, as Junhoe feels his face heat up. He turns his attention away from the beautiful male, kicking the small rock that is on his way in attempt to divert attention and look cool. Movie characters often did that, right?

But Junhoe isn't from the movie, so he ended up stumbling a little after delivering his kick. The heavens must have pitied him so he instantly regains his balance before he could land faceplant on the ground. Jinhwan snorts beside him, and Junhoe's embarrassment overpowers his curiosity on the kind of expression his savior is currently wearing now. 

"Careful." Jinhwan says, voice tinged with unconcealed amusement. Junhoe wishes the ground to swallow him up, but immediately erases the thought away because that would mean that his moment with Jinhwan will be cut short. They're already making progress, and it's a shame if the ground would really take him down. Who knows, maybe he'll be able to receive a full blown smile from Jinhwan at the end of this night. 

Another weird thought, but at least he's doing good by keeping them to himself. 

"Uh," Junhoe pauses, clears his throat for good measure, before continuing, "Mind if I ask how old are you? I don't really know how to address you."

"I'm probably older than you." Comes Jinhwan's casual reply, but Junhoe doubts it. He may have a lot of money, but it doesn't mean that he's older, right?

Jinhwan doesn't look like he's going to explain further, so Junhoe pushes his luck and tries again, this time, with a different approach. "I'm 24 years old this year."

Jinhwan gives him a sideway glance—the action too quick for Junhoe to decipher his expression, and then he's looking at the front again. 

"Still older."

"Really?"

To Junhoe's surprise, Jinhwan picks up his pace and stops in front of him. He's not expecting the action and the answer got him thinking, so when his savior did that, he almost ran directly straight to him. Embarrassed at their sudden close proximity, Junhoe takes a couple of steps back, and tries to meet Jinhwan's gaze. 

Is he mad, or that's just how Jinhwan's eyes naturally look? Narrowed and a bit accusing?

"Why?" Jinhwan's voice is harder than his usual tone, confirming that yes, he really is mad at Junhoe. Or just annoyed. The distinction doesn't matter, the important thing is that he managed to evoke a negative reaction from his savior. It's still a change, so he reluctantly added it to his mental  _ jinhwan _ file.

Before Junhoe could mull over it some more, Jinhwan is speaking again. "Why don't you want to believe that I'm older? Do I look like a kid to you?"

_ Ah, so this must be the reason.  _

Junhoe puts his hands up in defense, as he shakes his head, frantically declining it. He had his reasons, of course. "No, that's not it."

Jinhwan crosses his arms, unconvinced. "Is it because of my height? The fact that I'm shorter than you?"

"No!" Even though it's kind of cute how Jinhwan has to tilt his head up to look at him, it isn't the main reason why. He clasps his mouth shut for good measure, because he's sure that the irate male wouldn't appreciate hearing that he's cute right now.

"Then what is it?" 

Junhoe puts his hands down and thinks. He lets himself look at Jinhwan properly for the first time tonight. The moonlight illuminates his features, casting him an ethereal, soft glow despite his strong choice of clothing. Jinhwan puts on a leather jacket on top of his slightly unbuttoned top—he could now see the little cross tattoo on his collarbone, paired with a black ripped jeans. The way he's dressed differs greatly with his full suit when they first met, but Junhoe concludes that he likes every version of him. 

Junhoe focuses his attention back on his saviour's face, noting that he is relaxed now, but still looking like he's anticipating something. 

"So?" Jinhwan tilts his head a little, and even that looks so cute to Junhoe. 

Junhoe flushes at his own thought. He lets out a breath to calm himself down, before opening his mouth to speak. 

"When we first met, I thought that you must be younger than me, but then you began to speak and I got to spend a short time with you afterwards so I concluded on that night that maybe you're older."

"But?"

The ground suddenly looks so interesting to stare at, as Junhoe fixes his attention at their shoes. There's only so much that he could handle, and Jinhwan looking at him with so much interest isn't one of them.

"I met you again today." Junhoe says, his voice shy. He glances up to peer at Jinhwan's expression— a mixture of confusion and amusement, before looking down again. He realized that he's been doing it a lot at Jinhwan's presence, and the latter notices it too, judging by the flow of their next conversation. 

"I've been told that I am pleasing to the eyes." Jinhwan starts. "Though I wasn't sure if they're being truthful or they just want to be on my good side, or get in my pants." 

Junhoe is an adult, and he's mature, but there's just something so embarrassing in hearing his savior talk like  _ that _ . It's perfectly normal since Jinhwan is attractive, confident and rich, but he really doesn't want to hear more about people hitting on him. Maybe it's the fact that those people were probably at Jinhwan's level, while Junhoe can't ever compare, and that doesn't sit well with him.

"How about you? What do you think?" 

Thankfully, his self pity came into a half before he could even dive further. Still, his head hangs low, as he imagines the sorts of expression Jinhwan is currently pulling. 

"You look great." Great is an understatement, but Junhoe is weird enough so he settles for a neutral positive adjective instead. Junhoe knows where this conversation is getting at, but it still surprises him how direct Jinhwan can be.

"How can you say that when you won't even look at me?" Jinhwan prods, voice genuinely curious and even though it's lacking malice, Junhoe still feels himself flush. Feeling sorry for his savior, Junhoe forces himself to lift his head up. He just hopes that his blush would go unnoticed. 

"Better." Jinhwan nods to himself, satisfied after their eyes meet. "Now, how do I look? Aside from looking young, of course." 

Junhoe breathes, and then his mouth is running before his mind could even process his words.

"Beautiful." 

After the words left Junhoe's mouth, Jinhwan's eye twitches but he remains silent. Aside from that, there's no other visible indication for him to have a hint on his saviour's current feeling. On the other hand, Junhoe is beating himself up mentally for the horrendous slip up. He's been doing so well at keeping his cringy thoughts at bay, but of course he just had to crumble from just one look at Jinhwan. 

"I hate that I could easily tell that you're being truthful." Jinhwan says after a couple of moments which feels longer to Junhoe. He doesn't sound grossed out, nor disgusted, but maybe he's just way too nice to not react negatively. "Have you always been like that?"

Words betray him as evidenced by his earlier mistake, so instead of a verbal reply, Junhoe shakes his head no.

"I see." Jinhwan's eyes look unfocused for a second, like he's thinking hard about something, but he's obviously better at pulling himself back together because he's speaking up once again as if Junhoe had just imagined what he saw earlier. "You must be tired from all the walking. Let's go find the nearest available bench to rest."

Junhoe would like to argue that he isn't tired and that he could still walk a mile with him, but Jinhwan isn't suggesting. It's a statement that leaves no room for any objections, so as much as he dislikes it, he is left with no other choice but to follow his saviour's lead. 

Resting typically means the end. It means that they're going to calm themselves down, silently sit side by side and then when Jinhwan already thinks it's appropriate to leave without being suspicious, he's finally going to bid him goodbye. Junhoe could already imagine it all from happening, and he hates it. As selfish as it may sound, Junhoe doesn't want this night to end.

Junhoe glares at Jinhwan's back, but the bitterness isn't directed at his savior, but at himself. Maybe, if his mouth stayed shut earlier, then this night could be longer. 

* * *

Junhoe couldn't be happier when Jinhwan offered him to buy them drinks at the nearest local 24/7 convenience store. That means they're going to stay together longer than what he initially predicted earlier. Junhoe insisted to pay for their drinks this time, certain that the drinks won't damage his wallet like it would back at the classy bar, but Jinhwan wouldn't have any of it. He's presenting his card to the cashier faster than Junhoe pulling some cash from his pocket. He must have looked pretty upset that's why Jinhwan comforted him by saying that he'll just have to treat him next time they meet again.

That thought of having a " _ next time _ " made him so giddy that he almost skipped back to the tables outside the store.

* * *

Junhoe wants to say something, but he can't somehow find the perfect opportunity to speak. They lapsed into silence again, and though it's a comfortable one, it only allows Junhoe's thoughts to plunge about the topic earlier. It's bugging him that he managed to irate his savior. He wants to clear the misunderstanding, but he also doesn't want to appear insensitive by bringing it up once more. 

Junhoe shakes his still full can of beer, having nothing better to do. He could check his phone and inform Yunhyeong that he made a  _ little _ detour instead of going straight back home, but decided against it. He sighs and glances at Jinhwan beside him, almost jumping out of his seat when he finds the latter already staring. 

For some reason, Junhoe straightens his slouched back as he averts his eyes. He finally takes a sip of his beer, and at the corner of his eyes, he sees Jinhwan follow suit. 

"Spill."

Junhoe flushes for the nth time tonight. Is Jinhwan watching him agonize over his petty problem? Is he really always that easy to read?

"Your features are all bunched up and you kept on looking at me." Jinhwan states casually, as Junhoe almost chokes on air. He can even read his thoughts now? "Say it, whatever's bothering you."

Junhoe sighs. He doesn't really have to be told twice, because this is what he exactly needs— an entrance. Here goes nothing. 

"You look younger now, compared to the last time that I saw you." 

Jinhwan looks a little surprised at the repeated topic. He doesn't look mad nor irritated, so Junhoe takes it as a good thing. 

"This, again?"

Junhoe nods, gulping nervously. "Yes. I don't mean to offend you in any way earlier. I wanted to explain why I thought that."

"You do realize that I'm just kidding before, right? I'm not really mad." Jinhwan says slowly, with the ever present amusement in his voice. "Sure, I have a complex with my young appearance, but you don't sound condescending so I'm letting it pass." 

So, Junhoe agonized about something trivial. He spent time worrying over an insignificant thing, and made a fool out of himself for acting so conflicted about it. Great, just great. 

However, despite the initial frustration, Junhoe still couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Jinhwan is never mad at him. 

"But I'm still curious on whatever reason you have. So spill it anyway." Junhoe is preparing to argue that there's no point in explaining now that he knows he's only overthinking it, but Jinhwan beats him to it. "If you don't say it, then I'll be really mad for real." 

Junhoe looks at Jinhwan in betrayal, stunned at the threat. His savior shrugs as he sips on his drink, undeterred. He wants them to just move on to the next topic, maybe ask Jinhwan things that would allow him to have a glimpse on what he really is outside their incidental meetings, but Jinhwan's eyes looked so determined. He looks like he really means his words, and no amount of convincing would make him drop the topic.

He really can't escape it now, huh?

Junhoe sighs yet again, composing his mind not to spill  _ too much,  _ but his mind mocks him that  _ too much _ has been happening ever since he began to open his mouth. The corner of Jinhwan's lips pulls slightly upward, having realized that he wins and Junhoe is going to talk now.

Having Jinhwan's sole attention on him is burdensome, but Junhoe forces himself not to chicken out. 

"It's probably the way you handle yourself when we first met. That's one part, but the most telling one was how you looked on that day."

Jinhwan blinks cluelessly, and despite how nervous Junhoe is, it's only natural for him to inwardly coo at the action. 

"Was it the way I was dressed?" 

"Yes, but mostly it's how you control your emotions. In fact, it was so controlled that I couldn't even read how you're feeling aside from your occasional bouts of annoyance after checking your phone." Junhoe pauses to gauge Jinhwan's reaction and when he deemed it safe, he continues, "It's like you're trying so hard not to react and remain calm all the time, even though the subtle creases on your forehead tell otherwise." 

Junhoe realizes that he probably appeared too invested at the specific details he's letting out, a little afraid that Jinhwan may think that he's a creep for observing him like that in the short span of time that they're together. Not that he's wrong though, but he still doesn't want him thinking like that.

"Go on."

"It's obvious that you're in a foul mood on that day but you still went out of your way to help me. You're so polite, composed, and confident, so I thought, " _ ah, he wasn't as young as he appeared to be." _

"I still don't understand why." The head tilting is back, and Junhoe—you guess it right, has the decency to find it adorable. Again.

"You can control your expressions well and could even put a mask to cover it. I thought that the, uhh," Junhoe is unsure of his next words, but Jinhwan nods at him to encourage him, so he continues. "That the mask was meant to protect you, which means that you must have had experienced things before that forces you to develop that." 

Junhoe finishes lamely, uncertain whether he explained it well, or just did his usual babble. He allows Jinhwan to take it all in, but before the silence could stretch out long for him to think that he had offended him, the former's reaction isn't what he was expecting. 

"Wow." Jinhwan breathes, and he doesn't sound mocking, just genuinely amazed. "You thought all of that just from our first meeting?" 

Junhoe nods mutely, his embarrassment coming back in full force. Thankfully, Jinhwan doesn't comment on his creepy behavior, but instead demanded more explanation. 

"Why did it change now?"

Junhoe averts his eyes, as he says, "I have been seeing different expressions from you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." If Jinhwan doesn't think that he's creepy yet, then Junhoe is certain that his next words would seal it. "You're much more relaxed now. You're allowing your emotions to slip more. You could even joke around now, and it's a great contrast on how you were like before."

"I haven't noticed that." Jinhwan mumbles thoughtfully. "Must have been from the alcohol and your good company." 

This, is not the answer that he's expecting. Junhoe blushes crimson red, feeling his face instantly heat up. Thankfully, Jinhwan doesn't notice it yet, seemingly too engrossed with his own thoughts.

* * *

All good things must come to an end, and it unfortunately includes his time with Jinhwan. 

Jinhwan came back from their table after ending his call. He was sporting an apologetic expression then, and Junhoe didn't have to think too hard on what it meant. 

"You're leaving now?" Junhoe tries not to sound too disappointed. They've been together for almost 3 hours, but it still feels too short for him. 

"Yeah, they're looking for me now."

"I see." 

Junhoe stands up too, as he prepares to leave. Jinhwan looks pretty upset, a first for tonight, and Junhoe ignores the nagging thought that he looks like that not because of the call that he received, but because of his abrupt departure. ( _ Maybe he also doesn't want to leave too.) _

"Where will you go from here?"

Junhoe would take a cab, but he calculated it earlier and estimates that his fare won't cover the trip from here to his house. He silently wishes that Jinhwan would want to go back to the bar again, because not only will it allow him to afford a taxi, it will also grant him more time with his savior. 

However, he must have already used all his luck in meeting his savior again, that's why his wish for an extended time wasn't granted. 

"My friend would pick me up here." Jinhwan's phone dings, and it awfully reminded Junhoe of their first meeting. He decided that he hated his saviour's phone, for it appears to only bring them unfortunate things. "How about you?" 

"Could you tell me the direction back to the bar? I was hoping my friend would still be there." It's not technically a lie, but not the whole truth either. He supposes that it's better than admitting he's short on money again.

"The bar would close soon, and you won't arrive there before it does, even if you run." Jinhwan bit his lips, contemplating, before pulling out his phone. He begins to tap on it, while Junhoe is left to ponder on how he will go home now. 

Not too long after, Jinhwan is thrusting his phone on Junhoe's chest. 

"Here, input your place." Junhoe stares at the high end phone in his hands, processing what is currently happening, before everything clicked.

"No, no. You've done so much for me." Junhoe says, as he tries to return the phone to no avail. Jinhwan has his arms crossed, shaking his head at him. 

"I insist. You won't be here anyway if it wasn't for me. We've walked quite far, you know?"

Junhoe knows because he would still be able to afford the fare if they didn't go that far. Still, he won't say this out loud, because it's his own choice to follow him here.

"Sorry but I really can't."

"I'll be mad. Accept my offer before I really do." 

Jinhwan is one manipulative human. He knows exactly what to say, because moments later, Junhoe is typing his address with another sigh. He returns the phone when he's done, and only after Jinhwan checked that his address is real did he finally accept it. 

He taps around for a couple of seconds before announcing that his ride would be here in five minutes or less. 

Junhoe nods mutely, having no energy left to conceal his disappointment now. 

* * *

Junhoe is home not more than an hour later. He kicks his shoes away and runs straight to his room, plopping down on his bed with a huge smile he pulls his phone out of his pocket, hesitates for a second before keying his message in. 

He pauses after sending the first message, and then he's sending the second one. 

He's notified with a reply not too long after, which has him flailing on his bed like a goddamn highschooler who just received a message from their crush. 

Junhoe turns on his stomach, as he stifles his screams on his pillow. Since when did Jinhwan become his crush? He closes his eyes for a bit and his mind automatically replays the genuine smile that Jinhwan gave him before his cab departed

So, that's probably when. 

> _ From: Junhoe _
> 
> _ To: Jinhwan hyung _
> 
> _ 4: 25 AM _
> 
> Hello, this is Goo Junhoe. I just arrived at home now, thank you.

> _ From: Junhoe _
> 
> _ To: Jinhwan hyung _
> 
> _ 4: 26 AM _
> 
> And happy birthday hyung :)
> 
>   
>  _ From: Jinhwan hyung _
> 
> _ To: Junhoe _
> 
> _ 4: 28 AM _
> 
> Thank you, Junhoe. Congratulations too.

* * *

  
  


_ "I remember you saying that you were from a party that's why you initially refused the drink."  _

_ "Yes, I actually just fled my own party." Junhoe scratches his nape sheepishly. He's aware that they just want to welcome him warmly, but he isn't really feeling it. "I just signed a contract with them, and they wanted to celebrate it." _

_ "Oh, really? Congratulations!" Jinhwan's eyes reflect his tone—light and pleased. Junhoe flushes, but he wills himself not to look away, intent on drinking his saviour's image before he leaves. His cab would arrive soon, and the possibility of them meeting again would go back to almost impossible.  _

_ "I am actually running away from my own party too. Technically, it isn't happening until later, but I'm running from all the preparations for it." _

_ Jinhwan looks dressed for an actual party, but Junhoe supposes that rich people always dressed like that. _

_ "What's the occasion for you?" _

_ Jinhwan smiles, a sight so beautiful that Junhoe almost missed his next words. "It's for my birthday party." _

  
  
  


_ "Happy Birthday. I'm sorry, I should have gotten you a little something " Junhoe says, as he stands beside the open cab door. He has a lot to say, but Jinhwan is smiling at him again, all soft and genuine, and it makes him want to melt right there and then. It's the most beautiful expression that he has seen him wear.  _

_ It's not the biggest smile per se, just a barely there lift of both the corners of his lips, but his eyes are practically twinkling too and it's enough for Junhoe's heart to skip a beat. Junhoe wishes to see this always.  _

_ "It's okay, your company is enough. I enjoyed talking to you tonight." Jinhwan says, stepping forward. "It seems like I only managed to meet you whenever I want to run away, huh?" _

_ Before Junhoe could reply, the car honks, startling the both of them. Junhoe internally curses, realizing that he's running out of time.  _

_ Having no better idea, he pulls his phone out of his pocket, and with shaky hands, unlocks it and presents it to his saviour.  _

_ "Can I get your number, please?" _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> up next, the charm ;)
> 
> not impt buT HANBIN IS CLEARED THE WAY I SHED UGLEE TEARS ON THAT DAY

**Author's Note:**

> hello, thank you for reading. i have started to pick up writing again despite my tight schedule. please let me know on your thoughts or criticisms; they will be much appreciated.


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